European championships deliver further frustration for Ramsay-Peaty

The European Athletics Championships in Birmingham have unfortunately been experiencing low ticket sales, leaving many empty seats. This phenomenon could be attributed to a combination of factors, including a nation of people with limited time and financial resources to follow sports, as well as the fact that there are only so many hours in a day to watch sports.

The final session of the championships clashed with The Hundred cricket match at Lord's on the BBC, with cricket enjoying the advantage of being aired on BBC1 compared to track and field on BBC2. Although the BBC1 coverage of athletics was in high demand, some viewers opted to watch other programming instead.

The "sold out" sign for The Hundred's climax remains up online, yet the tournament overall has seen smaller crowds this season, marking the first time that franchise owners have been responsible for ticket sales. The opening nights of athletics were less attended than expected, and the Alexander Stadium, despite being packed for the weekend, still has available seats for fireworks displays – both sporting and actual.

Interestingly, if the event had been held in London, with a venue roughly three times larger than the Alexander Stadium, it would likely have been almost full during those early sessions. Despite this, the event has been notably affected by the competition for attention from other popular events. Notably, Welsh Fire's owners are pleased with the increased fan turnout at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, compared to the usual crowds at Glamorgan's grounds.

The disparity between The Hundred's crowds in London and the rest of the country has raised concerns among broadcasters, who view empty seats as potential opportunities for viewers to switch channels. Steve Cram, a former UK Athletics commentator, criticized the lack of full stands at the Birmingham athletics stadium, while a senior BBC executive rebuked the reporter for not emphasizing the poor attendance during a televised event.

The challenges of ticket sales and marketing for sports events, especially in cities outside London, demonstrate the difficulty in capturing viewers' attention in an era of abundant leisure choices.